Turkey gives politicians something to chew on

In a week when Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, Europeans are also talking Turkey - only the issue of whether that country can join the EU is proving even tougher than the notoriously chewy bird.

Germany’s Deutsche Welle reports on the EU’s ultimatum to Ankara that it must do something to end its dispute with Cyprus. "The EU believes that a solution to the Turkish-Cypriot dispute that threatens to derail membership talks for Turkey to join the 25-member bloc is still possible with help from the United Nations."

Le Monde reveals that the "Finns hold onto some small hope of moving forward on this issue on 27 and 28 November in Tampere, in the margins of a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers with their Middle Eastern counterparts, including Turkey. But most observers see little chance of success."

Greek paper Kathimerini covers the visit of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to London for talks with Tony Blair on Turkey. "Privately, there was a slight gap between the perception of the two leaders on how to deal with the Turkish issue," the daily quotes sources as saying. "If Ankara continues to be slow in meeting its accession targets, Britain appears to be in favour of freezing the chapter referring to the extension of its customs union."

Meanwhile, in the world of French politics, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin makes a bold bid for last-minute relevance in an interview with Le Figaro. He stresses the importance of the upcoming elections and calls them a watershed for France. As for the EU, he declares: "It is time that Europe has its revolution and better defends the interests of all Europeans."

Germany’s enterprising Spiegel has news about some mysteriously dissolving euro notes, which have been turning up in regular circulation and giving newspapers something fun to cover. "In a recent twist, chemists are now speculating that it may have come from an impure batch of the synthetic drug crystal methamphetamine, also known as ‘crystal meth,’" the magazine reveals. "The timing would certainly fit. Whereas crystal meth has become a mainstay on the drug menu in the US, it has only recently become popular in Europe. Meaning bank notes, through which the powder is generally snorted, have been largely free from encountering the stuff."

Bulgarian papers report on celebrations about to begin in preparation for that country’s accession to the EU. 24 Chassa notes that a concert entitled "1,000 hours until Bulgaria’s Accession to the EU will be staged in Sofia on November 25, opening celebrations of the country’s EU membership, organised by Sofia Municipality".

The paper adds that an "ice wall will be built, and then demolished, at another big concert on December 25, called ‘Break the Silence, Destroy the Wall’. And starting on December 1, public transport tickets in Sofia will bear EU symbols".

• Craig Winneker is a freelance writer based in Brussels.

In a week when Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, Europeans are also talking Turkey - only the issue of whether that country can join the EU is proving even tougher than the notoriously chewy bird.